Gastronomic History

CRIOLLO COOKING FOR THE AGES

 Photograph by Bill Gelabert

JUST in time for Mother's Day, a gorgeous table top book that honors women in the kitchen (plus a few men, too) and the glory of traditional Puerto Rican cuisine is out in print: "Sofrito The Essence of Puerto Rican Cuisine," by Blanche and William Gelabert. 

IT is clearly a product of love. And while its reason for being is to celebrate Puerto Rico's "soul food" in its many manifestations, this 185-page, full-color tome is also a paean to Puerto Rico, its landscape, its people. Its pages are chock full of fascinating facts like the clever ways used by the Taino Indians in hunting for fish (amazingly, they used trained sucker-fish to capture other fish) and the curious life of the Ceti, a fish with parallels to salmon.

THE book combines easy-to -follow recipes and plenty of lovely

pictures of foods and places around the island. Some of the recipes are hand-me-downs from Blanche's mother-in-law while others, including recipes no longer part of the day-to-day culinary lexicon, were culled from old timers that the couple met during their travels around Puerto Rico. One encounter led to another: each person they met would refer them to someone else who they absolutely must visit in order to learn some terrific recipe. These special recipes came, from among others, Aida Olga Genoveva Cummings de Florit, who shared her grandfather's recipe for Pan de Mallorca (sweet yeast bread) while Melquiades Nieves contributed his favorite recipe for Empanadas de Ceti (a small fish) and the daughter of Maria de Mari de Burset shared her mom's Ponque Divino recipe.

FIFTEEN years in the making, "The Essence of Puerto Rican Cuisine" summons up the diversity of the island's gastronomic heritage for the benefit of master or novice cooks, a culinary inheritance made all the richer by the contribution of different cultures: Taino, European, and African. Blanche is quite familiar with island fare having learned to cook the Puerto Rican way from her husband's mother, Doña Maria Gelabert. She and her husband met as teen-agers living in New York. Doña Gelabert "loved to spend hours on end in her kitchen preparing comida criolla and it was always a joyous occasion for me to visit her and learn about native island cuisine," Blanche writes in the preface. Preserving this trove of culinary history is important because, as Blanche points out, today's generation "has lost the art of original Puerto Rican cooking…Everything is frozen food." 

PULLING the book together is the vivid photography of William Gelabert. His still life pictures of food and table settings are sure to steer you to the kitchen to recreate the delicacies that his wife Blanche explains with such ease and clarity (the large type in the book is a plus for those with less than 20-20 vision!). Interspersed throughout are views of the Puerto Rican rural and urban landscape, images that focus on the island's idealized beauty.

"THE Essence of Puerto Rican Cuisine" follows in the footsteps of the couple's earlier "The Spirit of Puerto Rican Rum", a book devoted to rum-infused recipes. Though the rum book was a success, the Gelaberts did not make plans to work on another book. In fact, for almost a decade they pursued a dream of establishing a bed and breakfast in their magnificent colonial house in old San Juan, an endeavor that, Blanche recalls, "took a lot of stress, money and legal battles" against opponents of the project. Eventually, they gave up on the plan in order to concentrate on their long-running business, a tourist publication titled "San Juan Guide," and to assemble all the recipes left out from the previous project plus information collected through the years into a second book. 

ITS publication is a bittersweet moment. Bill Gelabert died two years ago from cancer. For Blanche, the book encapsulates the lifework of her husband, a professional photographer who specialized in commercial food photography. During his illness, Gelabert worried about what would happen to his work and this concern pushed Blanche to bring the book to fruition with the help of several friends. "Bill was shooting photos till the end. That was his passion and therapy," she said. Ultimately, "this is a tribute to his work and to Puerto Rico."

"THE Essence of Puerto Rican Cuisine," priced at $55, is available at Borders in Plaza Las Americas and these stores in old San Juan: Spicy Caribbee, Butterfly People, The Poets Passage, Concalma, Puerto Rico Arts & Crafts. Written commentaries in the book are by Ellen Hawes, Lisa M. Gelabert-Rivera, and Della Smith. The attractive book design is by John Rivera.

Date to keep in mind: MAY 29, 2012

Bring me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses of cast off ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT... That's the invitation issued by The Colegio de Contadores Autorizados de Puerto Rico to everyone with retired electronic equipment lying around the house. You can drop off the equipment 

TOMORROW FRIDAY at the atrium of the Capital Center building on Hostos Ave. in Hato Rey from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Depending on the item, you will have to pay a fee ranging from $1 for mouses, keyboards and speakers to $20 for servers and rear-projection TVs. For a list of items accepted and corresponding fees check www.colegiocpa.com

Photograph by Rafvs Franco-Steeves

For each ecstatic instant/ we must an anguish pay/

in keen and quivering ratio/ to the ecstasy.

For each beloved hour/sharp pittances of years/

bitter contested farthings/ And coffers heaped with tears. --Emily Dickinson

NEW YORK FINDS:

Greenwich Village, at one time a magnet for bohemians, revolutionaries and the literati, is now, instead, a draw for the fashion set thanks to chi-chi boutiques by the likes of Mark Jacobs, Burberry, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, and Michael Kors. And tourists, of course. Still, to walk along its quiet, tree-lined streets flanked by townhouses and other admirable brick buildings is one of the most enjoyable delights when visiting Manhattan. And if you love cheese, one stop-over you will want to make is Murray's Cheese at #254 Bleeker Street. It used to operate out of a smaller corner store right in front of its present location but the new digs have allowed it to expand into other food categories. Still, the "piece de resistance" here is clearly cheese from all parts of the globe and at prices spanning affordable to ritzy. Check it out and when you leave, stop next door at the delightful Amy's Bread for a bit of refreshment. The breads are divine!

Copyright 2011© Lorraine Blasor All Rights Reserved

EXPANDING CHOICES FOR LOCAL CONSUMERS

SUNDAY AT THE URBAN MARKET

PHOTOGRAPH BY DENISE BLASOR

Draw a thick red circle around Dec. 5 on your calendar: that's the date for the next Urban Market at Ventana al Mar park in Condado. You'll find natural and organic products, reasonable prices, and an upbeat vibe. A visit won't disappoint.  


This colorful market connects consumers with farmers and entrepreneurs from around the island in a convivial atmosphere that allows the public to engage with these small business owners and learn about their products in a friendly, personal manner.  


Launched last December, it is a joint collaboration between the Puerto Rico Agriculture Department and the Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico. "We want people to get used to asking for local products. We want them to know (these products) and ask for them," said EDB President Lizzie Rosso Tridas.  


Held on the first Sunday of every month, the market takes place under two giant white tents set up on the grounds of La Ventana al Mar, the park next door to the Condado Beach Hotel. About 30 to 40 businesses participate each time and, depending on the weather, the activity draws between 3,000 and 5,000 visitors, according to Rosso.  


Entrepreneurs in attendance may vary from one month to another but all have one thing in common: all run small businesses, some of which already have a proven track record while others are still trying to establish a foothold in the competitive marketplace. Those who showed up at the market on Nov. 7 brought along a potpourri of products, many of them made by hand like the colorful soaps that Marisabel Román and business partner Lucy Cintrón have been crafting since January when they kicked off their eco-friendly venture De Hojas following the loss of their regular jobs. Or the tantalizing cakes and ginger cookies prepared by Cookie Couture, which Madeleine Muñoz started four years ago. 


The goods displayed like pirate treasure on tables set around the perimeter of the two tents encompassed baked goods, marmalades, spices, condiments, fresh bread, liqueurs, coffee, tea, sangria, beauty and health products. Produce was practically absent that day, with the exception of fresh pineapples and plump hydroponic tomatoes. This is one area Rosso said needs building up. At least one of the businesses in attendance represented a totally new type of venture in Puerto Rico: cheese making. "This had never been done here," said Wanda Otero, a microbiologist who teamed up with chemical engineer Rosa Avalo to launch Quesos Vacanegra, a company devoted to producing artisanal cheeses. Otero is keeping her day job for now, she said with a smile that hinted at a potential career switch should the venture turn out to be a success. 


Plants and flowers rounded out the offering. Nursery owners and plant growers brought the best from their orchards, especially herbs and fruit plants for which there is a lot of demand these days as the recession prods people to reduce their expenses by growing their own food. While ornamental plants are stagnant, "everything having to do with home gardens sells very fast," said Deborah Rojas of Jardines de Borinquen, which operates a nursery in Juncos. Herboristeria Loma Linda made starting such a garden a lot easier by selling a diminutive six-pack collection of herbs including Genovese basil, purple basil, Greek oregano, thyme, Italian parsley, and lemon basil. The price: $4.  


Entrepreneurs had nothing but high praise for the activity. "It is excellent," said Tita González de Fenn, who sells a line of gourmet vinaigrettes through her eponymous Tita's Homemade, Inc. "People are looking for more natural products and are more aware about buying locally. This type of activity gives gastronomic artisans the opportunity to present their products," she said. Tita's products also sell at Walmart and Amigo Supermarkets. "The market is a way to introduce products to local distributors and proves that quality products are available in Puerto Rico. It's a promotional tool, " said Ivette Vargas, creator of the popular Montes Albó Chimichurri condiment which she began producing out of her own home in 2005 and now distributes through La Famosa.


With so much to choose from, the only problem for visitors at the market was making up their minds about what to buy. On another level, it was heartening to see the breath and talent of Puerto Rican entrepreneurs. You could see from the care they put into labels, product packaging and presentation, how passionate they are about what they do. In addition to free samples by participating businesses, visitors who bought products at the market were gifted bright yellow bags, emblazoned with the Urban Market logo, to carry their purchases. It made it easy, while walking along the Condado, to spot all the people who had made a stop-over at the market.  

URBAN MARKET IS HELD ON THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH 
HOURS: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 


"Nothing is too small to know and nothing too big to attempt." William Van Horne



A SIMPLE TIP

Enhance the taste of fresh milk by transferring it from its paper or plastic container into a glass bottle or jar. You will be surprised by the noticeable difference in taste.

Photograph by Denise Blasor

"One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words." Goethe










Caught our Attention

In a world where just about everything is disposable, it is refreshing to see a new product on the market that advertises itself as "reusable." That's the case of Scotch Reusable Strips, a product for hanging lightweight items that can be reused again and again. According to the product information, you can even "refresh stickiness" of the strips by washing them with soapy water. The double sided adhesive strips can be used for hanging and securing artwork, photos, lists, cards and other light items. It sells for $3.79 at Walgreens.



Duly Noted:

-- Concalma (Calmly), a retailer based in Old San Juan, has a simple business philosophy to fit its laid-back company name: be gentle on the environment by making functional cotton bags and support local industry by using available material resources and contracting a co-op to manufacture its products. For Christmas, the company has unleashed a colorful rainbow of bags, pouches, and totes with the trademark bi-color shoulder strap. Check out those polka dots! As an added incentive to internet buyers in Puerto Rico and the U.S., the company will throw in free shipping for purchases through Nov. 30. Prices: from $20 to $48. http://shopconcalma.com







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